Here’s how to do it online, through SMS

New Delhi: If you haven’t linked your Aadhaar number with PAN or Permanent Account Number already,  Dec. 31 is the last date to do so. 

The Income Tax Department in September this year extended the due date for linking the PAN with the Aadhaar by three months, marking the seventh extension in the due date for the public to link the two identification numbers. Aadhaar or Unique Identity Number is a 12-digit number issued by the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) whereas PAN is a 10-character alphanumeric number issued by the Income Tax Department. 

Here’s how to link the Aadhaar with the PAN online:

Aadhaar-PAN Linking – Through Income Tax Portal

In order to link a PAN with Aadhaar online, the assessee is required to log in to the e-filing portal, https://www.incometaxindiaefiling.gov.in/home, according to the Income Tax Department. 

After login, the user can select the “link Aadhaar” option under “profile settings” or “quick links”.

Aadhaar-PAN Linking – Through SMS Service

The Income Tax Department also provides an SMS-based facility to enable the linking of Aadhaar with PAN online. In order to access this service, the user is required to send an SMS to either 567678 or   56161 in the following format, according to the Income Tax Department:

UIDPAN<12 digit Aadhaar><10 digit PAN>

For example: UIDPAN 111122223333 AAAPA9999Q

Name on Aadhaar and PAN must be identical

Both the facilities allow the user to link the Aadhaar with PAN if the name given in both the identification documents is identical, according to the Income Tax Department’s website, https://incometaxindia.gov.in/Pages/default.aspx